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Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has dominated the NBA since his arrival in 2003. There's arguably no one out there that has felt that more than Sacramento Kings star DeMar DeRozan.
James has been so good, it almost feels like he's had multiple peaks during his first and second stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers as well as his days with the Miami Heat. And that doesn't even include how great he's been as a member of the Lakers.
DeMar DeRozan's history against LeBron James before Lakers
Since making his NBA debut in October of 2009, DeMar DeRozan has played 43 regular season games and 14 playoff games against LeBron James all-time. Of those 43 playoff games, DeRozan has beaten James and his team just 12 times. In the postseason, DeRozan has beaten James in only two of the 14 games they've played.
DeRozan's only two wins against James in the playoffs came in Games 3 and 4 of the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals. After that, the Raptors lost 10 straight playoff games against James and his Cleveland Cavaliers, including two sweeps
Jeff Teague later notes that he never won a playoff game against James, which is correct. Teague is 0-12 all time in the postseason against LeBron James, while boasting a 5-21 record in 26 regular season games against him.
Impossible to beat LeBron James, says DeMar DeRozan
DeMar DeRozan recently joined the 520 podcast, hosted by former NBA player Jeff Teague, to discuss a number of topics as the NBA season nears its return. Among those topics Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
Both Teague and DeRozan played against James a combined 69 times in the regular season and 26 times in the playoffs. James has won 57 of those 69 matchups in the regular season and 24 of those 26 playoff matchups.
“I've said it plenty of times: That motherf***er was just impossible to beat,” DeMar DeRozan said of LeBron James. “Yeah, that's just what it was. It just… It just… Sh*t, it was no other way around.”
Teague's co-host then asked DeRozan if he felt the Raptors teams at the time were only a piece away from legitimate championship contention.
“Nah bro,” DeRozan replied. I'm gonna be honest. No. Bro was just, at that time… I have arguments with people because just like they ask me what [LeBron] was the best and it's like that Miami Bron and that second Cleveland Bron… Bro, he controlled everything from top to bottom. When you stepped on that floor, it was tough bro. He's one of the greats for a reason.”
DeMar DeRozan on LeBron James:
"Yeah, that motherf***er was impossible to beat… It was no other way around.” 😅
(via @club520podcast) pic.twitter.com/A3KsDfK91J
— Witness King James (@WITNESSKJ) August 27, 2024
During James' second stint with the Cavs, he averaged 26.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 8.9 assists against DeMar DeRozan and the Toronto Raptors in the regular season. He upped those numbers to 31.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game on 52.8 percent shooting from the field.
Nearly 40 years of age, James is still going strong against the best of the best. This year, he'll have a chance to play alongside his son, Bronny James, following his selection in the 2024 NBA Draft.
And now that DeMar DeRozan is a member of the Sacramento Kings — one of the biggest rivals of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise — he'll get to play against LeBron James and his Lakers four times a year again.
The first Lakers-Kings game of the 2024-25 regular will be on October 26th in Los Angeles. They'll play a second and third time in Sacramento on December 19th and 21st, respectively. The final contest of the year between the teams will be on December 28th, back in Los Angeles.
